Nigeria host Malawi in a winner-takes-all 2014 World Cup qualifier in Calabar on Saturday in a Group F clash, with a place in the final round of qualifying at stake.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winners are two points ahead of their southern African counterparts ahead of the final round of group fixtures, meaning a point for Stephen Keshi's men will guarantee them top spot and a ticket to the third round of qualifying.
Malawi, like their opponents, have yet to taste defeat in their qualifying campaign and boast a defensive record that suggests they will be difficult to break down, having conceded a miserly three goals so far.
The previous meeting between the sides ended in a 1-1 draw courtesy of two late goals after the teams could not be separated for the majority of he 90 minutes.
An intriguing subplot to the match is the battle between the respective coaches, with Keshi and the Flames' Tom Saintfiet becoming locked in a war of words that turned nasty when the Super Eagles was accused of racism for comments directed at the Belgian tactician.
In team news, Saintfiet is likely to rely on South Africa-based stars Essau Kanyenda and Robert Ng'ambi, along with experienced duo Joseph Kamwendo and Russell Mwafulirwa, as they look to beat the Nigerians for the first time in their history.
Keshi, meanwhile, will assess Victor Moses prior to the match with the Liverpool loanee having yet to feature at club level this season, while the dangerous Ahmed Musa will provide the threat down the right with Fenerbahce star Emmanuel Emenike leading the line.
0 comments:
Post a Comment